Learning Ethics in the Qur’an

A Tafsīr Tarbawī Study of the Moses–Khiḍr Narrative in Q.S. Al-Kahf [18]: 65–82

Abstract

The ethics of learning constitute an essential aspect of Islamic education—particularly within pesantren (Islamic boarding schools)—which demands a balance between the mastery of knowledge and the cultivation of character. The narrative of Prophet Moses and al-Khiḍr in Q.S. Al-Kahf [18]: 65–82 provides a Qur’anic basis for examining these dimensions of learning. This study aims to analyze the ethics of learning in the narrative and their relevance to contemporary pesantren education through a tafsīr tarbawī approach. This research employs a qualitative, library-based study, utilizing Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr by Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Munīr by Wahbah al-Zuḥaylī, and Tafsīr al-Miṣbāḥ by M. Quraish Shihab. The methodology incorporates comparative textual analysis and thematic content analysis, informed by the concept of adab al-ta‘allum and Zimmerman’s self-regulated learning framework. The findings reveal three main points in the story of Moses and Khiḍr. First, the exegetical interpretations emphasize humility, patience, sincerity, and respect for teachers, while highlighting the theological distinction between al-Khiḍr’s divinely authorized actions and ordinary educational authority. Second, Moses’s determination, ethical questioning, and subsequent understanding illustrate learning processes that can be conceptually related to forethought, performance, and self-reflection without reducing Qur’anic teachings to psychological theory. Third, these values can inform pesantren education through guided Qur’anic interpretation, respectful dialogue, reflective journals, and formative assessment that encourages ethical reasoning and intellectual responsibility. This study contributes a conceptual framework integrating Qur’anic learning ethics, adab al-ta‘allum, and self-regulated learning to strengthen ethical and reflective educational practices in contemporary pesantren.

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